Desk slide



Sept. 28, 1954 B. A. womA 2,690,371

DESK SLIDE Filed Oct. 2, 1950 J5 ATTORNEY i atented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED PATENT FFICE -DESK SLIDE "Benjamin ""Woina, Salem, Ohio, assignor to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio,- a

corporation of New Jersey V Application October 2, 1950, Scrial No. 188,037

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to an improved =desk slide for writing desks, and particularly to a desk slide which is adapted for use with sheet metal writing desks.

Writing desks for ofiice use are frequently provided with the usual desk slide in the form of a board-like member which can be drawn out to provide a smooth extending writing "surface.

Supplemental drawers provided with trays are frequently used in desks for retaining small articles.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a novel desk slide which may have the general depth dimension of the usual board slide but which can serve either as an extended writing surface or as an article receiving tray whereby one slide may serve for a dual purpose and a separate tray drawer may be dispensed with.

Further objects of the present invention reside in construction and arrangement of the desk slide so that it can be fabricated of sheet metal and still serve the dual purpose above mentioned without necessitating excessive height or weight.

Further objects of the present invention reside in the provision of a desk slide which is particularly adapted for use in sheet metal writing desks.

According to the present invention, the desk slide, which is preferably made of sheet metal, is provided with a removable member which can serve either as a shallow tray or, when reversed, serve as an extended writing surface with its surface flush with the top of the slide. Suitable means are provided on the slide and upon the removable member for releasably retaining the removable member in either of two positions.

Further and other objects of the present invention will be hereinafter pointed out in the accompanying specification and claim and shown in the drawings which show, by way of illustration, what I now consider to be one and a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the desk slide with the tray in position therein to receive articles;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the desk slide with the tray reversed to provide a writing surface which is afforded by the bottom of the tray;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

m'etaland comprises a rectangular frame which includes side members I 0, a rear cross member I I, and a front hand grip m'ember l2. "The side 'memb'ers H], see Fig. 4, are each provide'd with the usual guide rails [3 to .guide the desk slide in the desk. 'Extendin'g across the side members I0 is" across 'menriber' i l-suitably fixed to' the side members ID as by spot welding. "Each of the side members l0 has inturned lip portions 15. Cross member l4, side members [0, lip portions, and front grip member [2 define a tray receiving recess [6. Adapted for disposition in this rectangular recess It in the desk-like frame, is a removable member having a fiat plate-like bottom portion l! and upstanding rim or edge portions [8. When it is desired to utilize the removable member as a tray it is placed in the recess [6 in the general relation as shown in Fig. l with the rim portions [8 extending upward. When it is desired to utilize the removable member for a writing surface the tray is removed, turned upside down, and placed back in the recess. This relation of the parts is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Here it will be noted that the fiat bottom [1 of the removable member is substantially flush with the top of the rails l0 and with the top of the hand grip l2. When in such position the tray rim portions l8 are supported on the inturned lips I5, see Fig. 4. When the removable member is in the other position (Fig. 1) the bottom l1 rests on the inturned lip portions l5.

To release the removable member from the desk slide frame, the cross member [4 may be provided with a blade spring such as shown at IS in Fig. 2. This blade spring abuts a resilient button 20, carried on one of the rims of the tray. Obviously the spring may be carried by the removable member and the button may be on the cross member. The opposite rim of the tray is. provided with a rubber button 2| adapted to cooperate with a recess 22 in the front grip member l2. The tray may be removed by compressing the pring I!) to such an extent that the button 2! clears the recess 22. Thereafter the tray may be turned over to provide the writing surface relation. The button will again engage the recess 22 as will be readily understood. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that a sheet metal desk slide construction is provided which is extremely compact, particularly in its high dimension. If the desk slide is to be used for writing, the tray is turned over so that the entire bottom surface is available for a writing surface. When a tray is desired in place of the writing 3 surface, the removable member is merely reversed, as has been explained.

To limit the outward movement of the slide and to prevent its being withdrawn completely out of the desk, the cross frame member may be provided with a limit stop generally designated 23 including a resilient bumper button 24 adapted to cooperate with a fixed part 25 on the desk (see Fig. 3).

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific desk slide herein shown or described but may be embodied in other forms- Without departure from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

A sheet metal desk slide for a desk to provide an extended writing surface or an article receiving tray and for minimizing the overall height of the slide, said slide comprising a pair of side members, a front connecting hand grip cross. member, a second connecting cross member, inturned lip portions on said side members, the aforesaid members and lip portions defining a tray-receiving recessed frame; and an uncovered sheet metal tray adapted for reversible disposition in said recessed frame to provide either an open topped tray or a writing surface which is substantially flush with the top of the side members, and means provided for releasably retaining the reversible tray in the tray-receiving frame when in either of its positions, the releasable means comprising a spring detent means carried by one of the frame members, including the second cross member and the front cross member, cooperating recess means in the tray at the end adjacent the spring detent means and a projection at the opposite end of the tray and a second cooperating recess in the frame in the other of said members, including the second cross member and the front member, said spring detent means being compressible by pressure on the tray in a direction for withdrawing the projection from the second cooperating recess in the frame for permitting the removal and reversal of the tray in said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 493,410 Vanderlinda Mar. 14, 1893 1,157,539 Huhn Oct. 19, 1915 1,235,416 Bartlett July 31, 1917 1,274,446 Ratigan Aug. 6, 1918 1,838,558 Kolodny Dec. 29, 1981 1,870,553 Bullen Aug. 9, 1932 1,952,568 Schapp Mar. 27, 1934 2,182,026 Link Dec. 5, 1939 2,417,879 Merritt Mar. 25, 1947 

